World News - Bush says ‘failure in Iraq is not an option’. Remember his famous Mission Accomplished speech from the Aircraft Carrier? Is it now changed to ‘failure in Iraq is not an option’

Bush said Wednesday he didn’t expect to get universal support at home for the decision to invade Iraq and said failure there “is not an option.” Talking to reporters on the White House South Lawn after a meeting with a group of governors who have returned from a visit to Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush said he thanked the state chief executives for “sending a message from home that we care ... we appreciate the fact that people are willing to make sacrifices.” “I assured them that our goal in Afghanistan and Iraq is victory and there will be a victory” when those two countries are able to sustain themselves and defend themselves,” he said. “I assured the governors that the United States will complete the mission.” Bush has already declared victory in both countries so now the question of when do we leave remains. Bush says “Failure is not an Option,” It’s just inevitable and like Viet Nam the only question is how many must die before we declare Victory (again) and run like hell ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com

If deadly bird flu shows up in U.S. chickens or turkeys, the government will kill off any flocks suspected of having the virus even before tests are completed, officials said Wednesday. If bird flu arrives, "quick detection will be key to quickly containing it and eradicating it," said Ron DeHaven, head of the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A virulent strain of bird flu spreading through Asia, Europe and Africa has killed more than 100 people and hundreds of millions of birds. Most of America's chickens come from big commercial farms that are well-protected against the spread of disease. Yet there are many small backyard and free-range flocks — as many as 60,000 in Los Angeles alone — where birds are outdoors and are harder to protect. ...http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-04-19-birdflu_x.htm

More than a foot of blowing snow closed major highways on the northwestern Plains on Wednesday and caused widespread power outages. Some towns in western North Dakota could be without electricity for another day, said the Mountrail-Williams County Electric Cooperative. Sundance, Wyo., reported 13 inches of snow by midmorning with wind gusting to 60 mph, and an additional 1 to 3 inches was forecast. A foot of snow had fallen at Bowman, in North Dakota's southwest corner, and more was falling Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said. "I wish I was in Hawaii," said Bowman County Sheriff Rory Teigen. Authorities closed about 100 miles of Interstate 94 during the night from Glendive, Mont., to Dickinson, N.D., although the North Dakota portion was reopened Wednesday morning. A stretch of about 140 miles of I-90 was shut down from Gillette, Wyo., to Rapid City, S.D. Gillette itself got only a trace of snow. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1860194

Yahoo Inc. turned over a draft e-mail from one of its users to Chinese authorities, who used the information to jail the man on subversion charges, according to the verdict from his 2003 trial released Wednesday by a rights group. It was the third time the U.S.-based Internet company has been accused of helping put a Chinese user in prison. Jiang Lijun, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2003 for subversive activities aimed at overthrowing the ruling Communist Party. Yahoo's Hong Kong unit gave authorities a draft e-mail that had been saved on Jiang's account, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said, citing the verdict by the Beijing No. 2 People's Court. The group provided a copy of the verdict, which it said it obtained this week. ...http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1860203

As expected, Scott McClellan is quitting his job as the human pinata of the press room. Not so expected is new Chief of Staff Josh Bolten's decision to clip the wings of George Bush's political alter-ego of 33 years, Karl Rove.In the snakepit of the White House — any White House — power is a zero sum game. Bolten has demonstrated his clout by taking some away from the Empire of Rove. Forget trying to play policy expert, Bolten told Rove. Go back to focusing on what you do best: building and running a Republican election machine.And, by the way, if the Republicans lose the Congress in 2006, it's gonna be your fault, Karl — not the president's. By ripping a star from Rove's epaulet — the first time Rove has ever lost, rather than acquired, power in the Bush circle — Bolten showed that he can be effective, that he can influence events....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12388020/from/RSS/

Chad's President Idriss Deby has acknowledged he wants to use oil revenues to pay for weapons to use against rebels. Last week, Chad repelled a rebel attack on the capital, N'Djamena. The World Bank has frozen Chad's oil revenue account, saying President Deby has breached an agreement to reserve some of the money for development. In an interview with a French newspaper, Mr Deby asked which country would not buy arms to defend itself. "Why shouldn't Chad be allowed? We are going to buy weapons. We're going to do it openly. In the next two days these arms will arrive," Mr Deby told the French daily Le Figaro newspaper. Mr Deby also said the international community should have taken a stronger line against Sudan, which he blames for the attack on the capital by the United Front for Change rebel group. "The UN Security Council and African Union should condemn firmly the Sudanese aggression against Chad." ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4923254.stm